20-Year-Old Suffers Stroke After Taking Yaz, Gets Settlement
The Chicago Tribune had an interesting story last month about prescription contraceptives and their link to blood clots. According to the Tribune, Maggie Yunker suffered a stroke after multiple blood clots formed in her body and lodged in her brain.
Yunker was taking Yaz, which contains drospirenone, a synthetic version of the hormone progesterone. The drug has been heavily scrutinized, as regulators have demanded stronger safety warnings on birth-control pills with drospirenone.
Yaz has been linked to death, strokes, pulmonary embolisms and other problems. According to the Tribune, Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals, as of July, had settled the claims of 6,760 U.S. plaintiffs for a total of $1.4 billion, including $237,000 to Yunker.
“I didn’t think anything bad could happen, especially since a doctor was giving it to me,” Yunker told the Tribune. “Any medicine has risk factors, but when you’re 20 you don’t think about it.”
Last year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration changed the prescription information for birth control pills containing drospirenone, according to the Tribune. The changes include revised labels explaining that the medications could be associated with a higher risk of blood clots than other contraceptives that contain other hormones. “Studies comparing the risk of a blood clot range from no increase to a threefold increase,” the warning says.
Still, many critics are calling for a stronger, black-box warning. Unfortunately, for many Yaz users, the debate comes too late. Yunker said that she spent nearly a month in the hospital receiving treatment and that she suffered from intense head pain and double vision. She said she still suffers from headaches.
“I’ll be dealing with this for the rest of my life,” Yunker told the Tribune.
ZK represents many women who have taken Yaz or Yasmin and is familiar with the settlements. If you would like more information, please feel free to contact us toll-free 888-841-9623 or submit your inquiry online.